Improvement in car-couplings



G. W. WHITTINGTON.

CAR-COUPLING.

Patenzed0ct.24,1876.

l zyi ATTORN EYS NAEIERS. PHDT UNITED STATES GEORGE W. WHITTINGTON, OF XENIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN P. MARTIN PATENT OFFIGE.

AND WM. M. OGLESBY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,73 1, dated October 24, 1876; application filed September 9, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WHIT'IING- TON, of Xenia, in the county of Greene, and in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Couplings; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification. I

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a car-coupling, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my carcoupling; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through a part of the draw-head and frame.

A represents the front sill of a railroad-car, to which is bolted a bumper-frame, B. This frame is closed at the bottom, open at the top, and provided at its inner or rear end with vertical side flanges b I), through which the fastening-bolts a a, are passed to secure it to the sill A. In the frameB is placed the drawhead or bumper O, and held therein by means of cross-bars E E fastened on top of the frame, as shown. Under the front portion of the draw-head or bumper G are arranged spiral springs d, with guide-pins e to hold the mouth of the draw-head up, and still. allow it to yield downward, if desired. Through the rear portion of the draw-head O is a horizontal mortise, in which are placed two cross-bars, D D, the ends whereof project into recesses in the sides of the frame B, and between said cross-bars are placed one or more rubber or other springs,

G. This spring allows the draw-head to yield to any concussion, and keeps it projected forward to its full extent. On top of the frame B, in suitable boxes, is placed a crank, H, the forward end of which is passed through the upper end of an -shaped slide, I. This slide passes vertically through the draw-head and bottom of the frame B, said bottom of the frame having an enlarged slot to allow for the backward and forward movement of the slide when the draw-head is moved backward or forward, and the slot in the bottom of the drawhead is large enough to allow the horizontal part or foot of the slide to move upward into the same. Jrepresents the coupling-bar, which is formed with a hook, h, at each end. Wh n this bar is inserted in the draw-head the inner end thereof is pressed down by a spring, K, so that the hook h will enter the slot in the bottom of the draw-head and fasten on the shoulder i, as shown in Fig. 2. The spring K is fastened in the roof of the month of the draw-head, and extends backward and downward, its inner loose end pressing down upon the inner end of the draw-bar. For uncoupling the cars the inner end of the crank H is provided with a lever, L, extending up along the end of the car. By the aid of this lever, the crank H is turned in its boxes, so as to raise the slide I and cause the foot of said slide to raise the coupling-bar J off from the shoulder 5, when the bar can be drawn out. By attaching rods M M to the lever L, the cars may be uncoupled from either side as well as from the top. Under the frame B is hung a rock-shaft,p, with elbow-lever Nsecured thereon. One arm of this lever is, by a chain, m, connected with the front end of the draw-head, and the other arm of the lever is, by a chain, 11., connected with a shaft, 0, hung under the inner end of the frame B. The shaft 0 is provided with a hand-wheel, P, and ratchet-wheel t, as shown, and a pawl, 8, takes into said ratchet-wheel. By this device the front end of the draw-head may be pulled downward, and held in such depressed position when coupling cars of different height.

The coupling-bar J may be used in ordinary pin-and-link coupling draw-head by having a hole near each end, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The buffer-frame B, having bottom and sides, and open at the top, and provided with vertical side flanges b b at its inner end, bolted to the car, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The draw-head, having buffer-frame B, with cross-bars E E, draw-bar U, with crossbars D D, having interposed spring G, and springs 11 (1 under the front of the draw-bar, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The combination of the buffer-frame B, having a slot in its bottom, the sliding buffer 0, the L-shaped slide I, crank H, and operating-lever, and the draw-bar J with rounded hooks h on its ends, all constructed substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

G. W. WHITTINGTON.

Witnesses:

WARREN ANDERSON, A. L. OGLESBEE. 

